Endovascular treatment of traumatic arteriovenous fistulas of the vertebral artery

The authors describe herein the use of balloon-distensible stent grafts for endovascular treatment of patients presenting with traumatic arteriovenous fistulas in the first segment of the vertebral artery, exemplified by two clinical case reports. In both cases, the arteriovenous fistula formed after a stab-and-slash wound in the neck area. In order to exclude the arteriovenous aneurysm from the blood flow in the first case we performed endoprosthetic repair of the first segment of the subclavian artery with shutting off of the ostium of the vertebral artery carrying the aneurysm. In the second case, in order to remove the arteriovenous shunt we carried out performed endoprosthetic repair of the first segment of the vertebral artery. These cases show possibilities of roentgenoendovascular methods of treatment, making it possible to successfully replace technically complicated surgical interventions in traumatic arteriovenous fistulas of vertebral arteries.